So I decided to start making YouTube video’s of me reading ancient Hellenic texts. Here’s my first video.
“κὰδ δύναμιν δ᾽ ἔρδειν ἱέρ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν
ἁγνῶς καὶ καθαρῶς, ἐπὶ δ᾽ ἀγλαὰ μηρία καίειν:ἄλλοτε δὲ σπονδῇσι θύεσσί τε ἱλάσκεσθαι,
ἠμὲν ὅτ᾽ εὐνάζῃ καὶ ὅτ᾽ ἂν φάος ἱερὸν ἔλθῃ,
ὥς κέ τοι ἵλαον κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἔχωσιν”“[…] sacrifice to the deathless gods purely and cleanly, and burn rich meats also, and at other times propitiate them with libations and incense, both when you go to bed and when the holy light has come back, that they may be gracious to you in heart and spirit […]”
- Ἡσίοδος (Hesiodos), ‘Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι” (Works and Days), lines 336-340, ca. 750-650 BCE. Translation: Hugh G. Evelyn-White, 1914.
Quote from Hesiod
Thor’s Hammer Approved For Veteran Headstones and Markers
Χαίρετε πάντες! Greetings to all!
Today I wanted to share something I read on The Wild Hunt. It seems the U.S. Departement of Veterans Affairs has approved the Hammer of Thor to be used on headstones of Ásatrúar and other Germanic polytheist soldiers/veterans who passed away. While this doesn’t affect me, as I live in Europe, it does feel good to know this. It is a further step in the emancipation of non-Abrahamic religions in the U.S. You can read the article here: http://wildhunt.org/2013/05/thors-hammer-approved-for-veteran-headstones-and-markers.html.
Thor’s Hammer
Now it does make me think about how it would be for Hellenists? Perhaps American Hellenists should start thinking of jumping on the bandwagon and striving for a Hellenic symbol to be recognised for this. They might also want to think about which symbol to use. Personally I think the Κηρύκειον (Kērukeion), the staff of Hermēs, would be suitable, as one of his functions is that psychopomp. He is the God who guides the souls to the afterlife and brings them to the river Στύξ (Stux). What do you think?
Hermēs’ Kērukeion
Contest!
For those that don't know, May is Military appreciation month in the US; it contains more military holidays than you can shake a stick at (for a full list, see here). In honor of the festivities, I am going to hold a writing contest running through Memorial day.
Up for grabs are two clay cameos, one for each category in the contest: poetry and short essay (see photo below).
Aspis of Ares is holding a contest :-)
Petition for the Temple of Artemis Agrotera in Athens
To the European Parliament, the Greek Parliament, and all relevant Government Agencies.
The archaeological site of the Ionic temple of Artemis Agrotera one of the most important historical and archeological sites that has survived in the center of Athens is at risk due to the lack of political will of the Greek Ministers of Culture. Up to this date no action has been taken to release the necessary funds for the expropriation of the land, its further excavation and its accessibility to the public.
In spite of 7 consultations over a period of 40 years with the Central Archaeological Council (the official expert body of the Ministry of Culture) wherein they consistently proposed the expropriation, excavation and accessibility of the site, the Minister has now redirected the issue to the council, proposing the possibility for private construction of the site.
We the undersigned strongly oppose the real estate development of sacred archaeological sites. Governments have the responsibility to protect our world heritage and keep it intact for the generations that follow. We demand that the European Parliament, the Greek Parliament and relevant Government Agencies take action to protect this site.
Sign the petition here: http://www.artemisagrotera.org/en/petition.asp.
Book: Vinciane PIRENNE-DELFORGE, L’Aphrodite grecque. Contribution à l’étude de ses cultes et de sa personnalité dans le panthéon archaïque et classique
Another free publication by kernos, but this one seems to be in French.
Vinciane PIRENNE-DELFORGE, L’Aphrodite grecque. Contribution à l’étude de ses cultes et de sa personnalité dans le panthéon archaïque et classique
527 pages, 12 cartes.
Les divinités grecques appartiennent à un héritage européen qui n’a cessé de s’enrichir; elles peuvent de ce fait nous donner une grande impression de familiarité. Aphrodite, plus encore que d’autres dieux, a connu une fortune artistique et littéraire considérable, mais on reste mal informé sur les cultes que lui rendaient les Anciens. Cette recherche entend combler une lacune et se présente en trois parties : 1) Une étude exhaustive des cultes d’Aphrodite dans les régions visitées par Pausanias le Périégète (Attique, Péloponnèse, Béotie, Phocide, Locride) ; 2) Les rapports entre Aphrodite et l’île de Chypre ; 3) Une synthèse des données des cultes archaïques et classiques. La question fondamentale à laquelle cet ouvrage tente de répondre est celle de savoir pourquoi un individu ou un groupe donné, dans un endroit donné, à une époque donnée, dans des circonstances données s’adressait à Aphrodite plutôt qu’à une autre divinité.
Book: Gunnel EKROTH, The Sacrificial Rituals of Greek Hero-Cults in the Archaic to the Early Hellenistic Period
Khairete!
Just a quick blogpost to let you know of a work on ancient Hellenic Hero cults, which you can download as pdf for free, via the link at the bottom of this blogpost:
Gunnel EKROTH, The Sacrificial Rituals of Greek Hero-Cults in the Archaic to the Early Hellenistic Period
429 pages, 12 figures.
This study questions the traditional view of sacrifices in hero-cults during the Archaic to the early Hellenistic periods. The analysis of the epigraphical and literary evidence for sacrifices to heroes in these periods shows, contrary to the traditional notion, that the main ritual in hero-cults was a thysia at which the worshippers consumed the meat from the animal victim. A particular handling of the animal’s blood or a holocaust, rituals previously taken to be typical for heroes, can rarely be documented and must be considered as marginal features in hero-cults. The terms eschara, escharon, bothros, enagizein, enagisma, enagismos and enagisterion, believed to be characteristic for hero-cults, are seldom used in hero-contexts before the Roman period and occur mainly in the Byzantine lexicographers and in the scholia. Since the main kind of sacrifice in hero-cults was a thysia, a ritual intimately connected with the social structure of society, the heroes must have fulfilled the same role as the gods within the Greek religious system. The fact that the heroes were dead seems to have been of little significance for the sacrificial rituals and it is questionable whether the rituals of hero-cults are to be considered as originating in the cult of the dead.
